Editors Blog

Coalition should have given date to scrap the default retirement age

Of the many measures announced in last month's Emergency Budget to concern employers, perhaps the least surprising was the confirmation the coalition government plans to scrap the default retirement age (DRA) of 65.The government revealed it would "quickly phase out"...

Posted by Mike Berry on July 8, 2010 10:42 AM

Volcano disruption: Asda will pay stranded staff

As the dust (or should that be ash?) finally settles on the huge travel disruption caused by the volcanic eruption in Iceland, it's good to see one of the UK's largest employers adopting a policy that puts the concerns of...

Posted by Mike Berry on April 23, 2010 4:14 PM

EHRC plans on gender reporting will have little effect

The proposals on gender pay reporting by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) received a decidedly mixed welcome from some HR directors and employers' groups. The commission's promise of two-year immunity from investigation for those firms that go public with...

Posted by Mike Berry on January 22, 2010 12:00 PM

Cold snap continues for HR and national minimum wage

The big freeze continues to dominate the headlines, with snow and ice causing havoc for employers and their staff across the UK.Our story on the Personnel Today website gives a snapshot of how some HR directors in the worst affected...

Posted by Mike Berry on January 8, 2010 11:41 AM

Retirement age on its last legs

Despite the recent High Court decision in the Heyday challenge to the default retirement age, which ruled that it is legal for employers to force workers to retire at 65, its days are surely numbered.Pressure is growing on the government...

Posted by Mike Berry on October 5, 2009 10:51 AM

New guidance on child employment

Dickens' novel Oliver Twist brought to life the grim picture of Victorian workhouses, with harsh and terrible working conditions for the children housed there. Breaches of working time regulations, minimum wage laws, health and safety laws, discrimination everywhere.It wouldn't happen...

Posted by Mike Berry on September 3, 2009 1:43 PM

Retirement age debate hots up

Personnel Today and the Employers Forum on Age hosted a debate on the default retirement age (DRA) of 65 in London yesterday. The debate was chaired by FT columnist Stefan Stern, who has reported it on his blog, and featured...

Posted by Mike Berry on July 29, 2009 2:04 PM

Consultation on simplifying the skills system (yes, another one)

What's that sound we can all hear? Oh, it's just the sound of deckchairs being reshuffled as yet another consultation into the UK's skills system is launched.The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) is inviting everyone with an interest...

Posted by Mike Berry on July 21, 2009 12:09 PM

Heyday retirement age case reaches final stage

Today marks what is hopefully the final stage of a three-year legal challenge against the default retirement age of 65.The so-called Heyday case begins at the High Court where the government will attempt to make the case why its social...

Posted by Mike Berry on July 16, 2009 7:34 AM

'Nameless CV' proposal comes back to haunt HR

Just as you thought you'd heard the last of the 'nameless CV' proposal, it is rearing its ugly head again. Angry HR professionals opposing the idea wrote to us back in May slamming the proposal for job applications to be...

Posted by Dawn Spalding on July 6, 2009 2:01 PM

Support for scrapping the retirement age grows

The Government Equalities Office has launched a consultation on banning age discrimination in accessing goods and services.The measures are included in the Equality Bill and cover how the legislation will enable things that are beneficial to continue such as age-based...

Posted by Mike Berry on June 30, 2009 2:48 PM

Political positioning begins for election road ahead

So the countdown has begun. We are now no more than a year away from a general election and the main political parties are beginning to position themselves for the long campaign ahead.MPs of all political persuasions are still under...

Posted by Mike Berry on June 1, 2009 7:48 AM

Anonymous CVs won't put an end to job discrimination

What should we make of the proposed amendment to the Equality Bill which would allow candidates to omit their name when submitting job applications?Lib Dem equalities spokeswoman Lynne Featherstone said the move would prevent 'subliminal' discrimination by employers, meaning applicants...

Posted by Mike Berry on May 18, 2009 8:21 AM

Equality Bill fails to scrap retirement age rules

Age campaigners - and Personnel Today - are disappointed that the Equality Bill didn't include any measures to committing to scrapping the default retirement age before the current review date of 2011. EFA chief Catharine Pusey said: "Today, with people...

Posted by Mike Berry on April 28, 2009 4:58 PM

Budget 2009 | It'll leave you gasping for air

Lots of questions about what the 2009 Budget will entail, and at the moment, your guess is as good as mine. Actually, probably not as good, but not far off. Sunday will likely see a few leaks from Wednesday's Budget, but nothing that will blow employers away. Most of the interesting stuff with immediate impact was announced in the Pre-Budget Report last year, somewhere in the vicinity of £20bn. And with the Chancellor set to reveal a national deficit of £175bn (far and away above his "rose-coloured" prediction of around £100bn last year), employers can bet their bottom dollar (or pound or Euro or whatever you haven't already spent yet) that there will be no new money.

Posted by Guy Logan on April 17, 2009 5:00 PM

Visteon dispute: A dangerous precedent to be set?

As I write, former Visteon employees across the UK have their fingers tightly crossed as they await the outcome of a second meeting today between Unite union representatives and Ford. Despite meetings between Unite and the 'powers that be' at...

Posted by Kat Baker on April 16, 2009 8:58 AM

Would equal pay audits work?

Posted by Louisa Peacock on March 18, 2009 8:06 AM

Heyday decision still means days of default retirement age are numbered

Legal comment and reaction continues to bombard the Personnel Today office following the European Court of Justice decision on the Heyday challenge to the default retirement age (DRA). The ruling, which finds that the DRA does not contravene the European...

Posted by Mike Berry on March 5, 2009 11:07 AM

Heyday retirement age case decision imminent

I was fortunate enough to attend the Employers Forum on Age awards last week, which showcased organisations leading the way in workplace age diversity. Winners on the day included McDonalds, Centrica, First ScotRail and British Gas - who won the...

Posted by Mike Berry on March 3, 2009 10:12 AM

Michael Todd report shows hazy future for background checks of bosses

Following this week's report into the death of Chief Constable Michael Todd, employers are no less prepared to deal with senior staff who are vulnerable to blackmail.

Posted by Guy Logan on February 13, 2009 7:00 AM